Game apparatus



July 3, 1923.

,4 ,5 N. S. HARTER GAME APPARATUS Filed May 18 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet l July 3, 1923.

1,460,670 N. s. HARTER GAME APPARATUS Filed May 18, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 3+ $106 2%? W 7l oa/z 0, 7122 562" v July 3, 1923. 1,460,670

N. s. HARTER GAME APPARATUS Filed May 18 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 JR; I :1 v U U U n U {1 U u v v v v v Q Q J 1 K g Q {Q 9 Zrzverzrr Fatented July 3, 1923.1

NOAH S. I IARTER, OF WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-THIRD TO GEORGE F. BUMMEL AND ONE-THIRD TO A. T. WEAVER, BOTH OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GAME APPARATUS- Application filed May 18, 1921'. Serial No. 470,569.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it'known that I, NOAH-s. HARTER, a citizen of the United States, residin at Waukegan, in the county of Lake and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to game apparatus.

One of the objects of the invention is to im rove games.

nother object is to provide improved apparatus by means of which one may practice to improve his skill in playing golf.

Another object is the provision of means which may be used indoors or out of doors in a relatively small area, by the use of which the stance of the player, the swing of his club, the accuracy of the stroke and impact of the ball, as in golf, may be 10- quired by practice. f

Another object is to specifically improve the apparatus used in carrying the invention into effect.

Other, further and more specific objects of the invention will become readily apparent, to persons skilled in the art, from a consideration of the following description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein w I Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the simplest form of target showing the stroke indicating dev-ice connected thereto. ig. 2 is a plan View of the same.

Fig. 3 i a section taken on line 3 -3 o Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the device as shown in Fig. 2..

Fig. 5 isa modification of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is another modification of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the more elaborate .form of target.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 isa modification of Fig. 7 similar to Fig. 6. a i Fig. 10 isa planof the same.-

Fig. 11 is an enlarged detail of the lacing means; v

Fig. 12 is a section thru line l2- 12 of Fig. 11. I In all the views the same reference characters are employed to indicate similar parts.

The generic idea involved in the inven tion is the provision of a vertically upstanding target composed of fabric orv netting,

properly arranged and supported so that a given impact of the ball with any portion thereof transmits an impulse thru suitable tering in terms of yards the force of the stroke applied to the ball and the effect thereof wheniit impinges upon the'face of V cluded inall of the modifications, is the means for-protection of the relatively. unyielding portions of the target support,' by

* use of suitable fabric sheets, so as to cushion the ball and prevent its rebound to the injury of the player when it strikes unyielding objects.

The device except Fig. 1 is shown to be contained within a room or other suitable enclosure the walls of which are designated by 13 in the several figures.

In the simplest form of the structure,.

shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the target 15 is made of suitable fabric or netting, suspended between a rectangular frame consisting of the members 16, 17, 18 and 19. Each of the targets is laced to the side frame members, as shown in Figs. 7 to 12, inclusive, the laced cords to an impulse recorder, thereby regis cord engaging the vertical edges of the tar get and passing over pulleys or sheaves. Each of thesheaves 20 is provided with an attaching portion 21 and a ball bearing roller 22, partly covered by a casing 23. The cord 24, which should be flexible and unyielding as can be, passes alternately thru a sheavesecured to the edges of the target 15 and to a sheave supported, as by a hook 25, on. the side members 16 and 17.

' For the purpose of strength it'is desirable to stitch a cord 26 along the edges of the target and to extend it into loops 27 for engagement with the part 21 of the sheave 20. In Fig. 7 the cord 24 istensioned by the weight 27. The cords from each side pass V they are connected together to tension the cords on both sides of the structure. Each .of the cords are then threaded thru the ferred to another weight 27 is'located near the bottom of the target, the cords 24 being thru aball bearing sheave 28 at which point 1 connected thereto and passing over the policy 28' from which they are laced on the respective sides of the target thru the sheaves 20, and it is carried parallel with the cord from the upper section of the target over the pulley 29 and there it is connected with the cord extending to the impulse indicator.

, Now, it will be manifest, that when a ball strikes the target 15,

as shown in Fig. 7 and specifically described, that an impulse will be imparted to the target 15 by the efiectof the motion of the ball which will cause the cord 24 to pull on a portion of the targetindicator and rotate the index over the dial.

A target recorder well adapted for this use is more specifically shown and claimed in my co-pending application Serial Number 470,570, filed Mav 18, 1920, and does not need. any further explanation.

In Figs. ,6, 9 and 10 the target is divided in two angularly related sections 15 and 15 laced to a frame having side members 16 and 17 in the rear of the target, but laced in thenmanner, as more clearly shown .in Fig. 9 and as heretofore described.

The cords for the target 15 pass thru slots 31 made near the inner edge of the target section 15. The tension weights 27 and 27 maintain the target, and the cords by which it is supported, taut so as to be extremely sensitive to the effect of the blow or pressure that may be imparted thereto by the ball.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 8 there is placed before the wood work of the structure cushioning curtains 32 and 33. These curtains or cushions extend to and overlie the vertical edges of the target 15, so that when the ball misses the target it hits one of these curtains and prevents violent rebound of the ball. In Figs. 6 and 10 they are not required because the wood work is behind ,the target.

In Fig. 5 I have shown fabric or net cushioning curtains 33 and 34 properly supported and stretched, from the ceiling to the floor substantially shown in Fig. 3, and other cushioning curtains 35 and 36 extending from the outeredges of the curtains 33 and 34, respectively, closely to the walls of the side of the room so that when the ball is driven towards the target 15, if it does not strike the target it will strike one of the cushioning curtains and'will not rebound with the vigor that it would if it struck some substantially unyielding object such as the frame upon, which the targetjs stretched. By this means the frame and all wood work adjacent the target are protected against contact by the ball for the reason heretofore described.

In Fig. 6 the cushioning curtains 37 and 38 are substantially parallel with the side walls of the room as shown in Fig. 3. Y The remove lower edges of the curtains are secured to the floor, as at'39, by suitable means, and laced or otherwise fastened to the ceiling and supported, so that the cushioning cur- .tains are held taut to absorb the shock that may be imparted to them by the flight of the ball.

When any one of the targets is struck by the ball tension is applied to the leading to the target, and the pointer 41 of the indicator is moved over the dial, shown in Fig. 7 to be marked or sealed from zero to 275 yards. lhe arrangement of the stroke indicator is such that the index or pointer 41 will remain in the position in iich it has been placed by the force of the impact of the ball against the target, until it is manually returned to the zero point, more clearly shown in my copending application.

The indicator is actuated by a spring which responds to the impulse to move the index before the inertia of the tensioning weights 27-27 can be overcome to move them by force of the same impulse.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the character described cords 2d an inertia weight and a fabric target tensioned by the inertia weight and the indicator and supported on the frame.

2. A device of the character described comprising a frame; an impact indicator; an inertia weight; a. fabric target having one edge connected to the indicator and another edge to the inertia weight and supported by the frame.

3. A'device of the character described comprising a fabric target; a frame to support the target; an impact indicator; a cord interlaced between the vertical edges of the target and the frame, one end of which is connected to' the indicator to transmit the effect of the impact of the ball on the target to the indicator; an inertia weight connected to the other end of the cord to hold the cord taut and cushioning curtains erected before the frame, one on each side of the target. 4. A device of the character described comprising a. fabric target made in two sections, interlapped. at their approximate vertical edges; a frame, to support the target; a cord, interlaced between the targets at their adjacent edges and adjacent members of the frame, respectively, and an impact indicator to which said cord is connected to indicate an impulse produced by impact of the ball upon either target.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my name;

NOAH S. HARTER. 

